New from Nova Scotia, Canada

Rnovo · 03-25-2008, 11:58 AM

Hello to all,
Just made it back to the Pentax community after many moons away here and there.
Spotmatic SPII in 1978 (28f3.5, 50f1.4, 135f3.5 - all takumar in magic shape). 6X7 in 1983 sold in 2004 with 3 primes, and K10D 2 days ago + 16-50 DA and I plan on using my Takumars once more...in digital, the old fashion way!
No K10Ds available anymore, anywhere in Canada... 0 from 0, only on e-Bay. I was anxious about the bidding on e-Bay thinking I would have to fight my way through and suddenly found myself bidding only against myself for a $660 body at camerashopeonline - what a deal!
I'm not too keen on the K20D - too big and too expensive for what I want to do.
Also got a great deal on a 16-50 DA at $799.99CAN at prodigital 2000 in Canada.
I have only one concern: spare D-L150 batteries. There's all kinds of cheap stuff on e-Bay from Hong Kong at $3 - $6 a piece as compared to Pentax at $60. Has anyone a suggestion on what to buy? What about the grip?...Is it worth $200?
Also, being new to DSLR operation I would like to get a training aid to help me. Does anyone have some comments on the magic lantern K10D book as well as that training video that is available on e-Bay?
Thanks to you keen Pentax buffs for any comments on that.
Richard

bymy141 · 03-25-2008, 12:47 PM

Originally posted by Rnovo

No K10Ds available anymore, anywhere in Canada... 0 from 0, only on e-Bay.

Hum, the K10D is still on the Pentax price list....

Originally posted by Rnovo

I'm not too keen on the K20D - too big and too expensive for what I want to do.
What about the grip?...Is it worth $200?
Also, being new to DSLR operation I would like to get a training aid to help me. Does anyone have some comments on the magic lantern K10D book as well as that training video that is available on e-Bay?
Thanks to you keen Pentax buffs for any comments on that.
Richard

First of all; congrats you've made it to here.

The battery grip is not required from a battery life point of view.
Get yourself a proper second source battery and put it in your bag. It is not worth $200 to me, however many disagree and appreciate the grip aspect of it.

A book is good, however, there is not so much to learn for an experienced SLR user.
It is almost the same: shutter speed, aperture, sensitivity (ISO/DIN). You know that!
There are just many more possibilities to control them.

As ISO increases, noise increases, just like getting into fast films and seeing larger grain.
What is new is colour. If you shoot in RAW format, you can postphone the colour settings to postprocessing. I find it much less difficult to handle that on my PC than in my camera.

Trust your instincts, load firmware 1.3 and learn the controls, then adapt them to your liking.

Try this link for starters, the workshop are a very good starting point for the K10D: PENTAX digiich

Good luck!

- Bert

JCSullivan · 03-25-2008, 12:55 PM

Hi Richard and Welcome to the forum - you are joining many Canucks, a few maritimers and Lots and Lots of others from around the world.

Rnovo · 03-25-2008, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the nice comments, Bert. I'll take it a day at a time and keep the advise in mind. I can't wait to play with that 16-50mm I've been hearing so much about - not used to Zooms at all, just primes, the old way.
Richard

Rnovo · 03-25-2008, 06:45 PM

Yeah, I'll go to that site, Thanks JC.
Richard

JCSullivan · 03-26-2008, 04:58 AM

I guess I should fix-it to indicate that that is my signature.

**Canada_Rockies** · 03-26-2008, 08:54 AM

Originally posted by Rnovo

What about the grip?...Is it worth $200?

Yes. Get the grip kit which includes a spare battery and Remote F. The grip battery will double the in camera battery life. The Remote F is worth about $25. The grip also holds a spare SD card, although it does not add it to the card in camera.

The best thing about the grip, though, is the feel of the camera in my hands. It just seems better balanced and easier to hold. The vertical shutter release is also very nice.

LSR · 03-27-2008, 01:21 PM

I just got the accessory kit from prodigital2000, $179 for a battery, remote F (wow that thing is small!) and the grip. Well worth it in my opinion. The grip makes the camera feel a bit better in my hands, but when I flip the camera for portrait shooting it really shows it's worth. As others have complained about, the shutter button on the grip isn't the same quality as on the camera body which is slightly disappointing, but I'll get over that I'm sure.

I have a European trip planned soon so I look forward to seeing how much life two batteries working together can give me. I like the idea that the camera will draw power from whichever battery has more life remaining in it.

I too jumped on the K10D when I found it was discontinued with very little stock remaining in Canada, found an unused demo at my local Henry's, luck for me as I was panicking not being able to find one anywhere else in Canada!

At the start of March I ordered the Magic Lantern book, it's still not here yet, I have a feeling it won't be printed again even though it hasn't been on the market for a year yet

Another quality battery you can use is the Minolta NP400 battery, it is identical to the Pentax D-L150 in every way, I got one on eBay from foto*works for $25, and now I'm set I think with 3 batteries.

**Canada_Rockies** · 03-27-2008, 02:02 PM

I have my camera set to use the grip battery first. The default is to exhaust both batteries equally so that the whole camera dies when the battery signal moves ever so quickly to empty. This way, the signal tells me grip battery is (nearly) empty. Turn off camera, put grip battery in charger, use camera battery while grip battery charges up. When the grip battery is all charged up, swap it with the camera battery, putting the camera battery in the charger. Replace grip battery when original camera battery is recharged.

bbpa103 · 04-11-2008, 06:13 PM

Hi Richard. Spent 7 years in NS and working on getting back there. Did you already grab the manual off the Pentax site: Pentax Canada - Operating Manuals for Pentax Digitals I have the K100D but scanning quickly thru the Magic Lantern I thought that after reading the manual several times there was not much value added to the ML book. Welcome. Ken.

davek · 04-11-2008, 11:37 PM

Welcome to the club!

I love the grip on my K10D. It hasn't been off since I got it. As far as a second battery, I picked a non-OEM battery from ebay with charger for <$20. Works great. Like Rockies, I set mine to deplete the grip battery first.

Rnovo · 04-12-2008, 06:25 AM

Thanks for all the info guys. This is a freindly bunch!
I too got a spare battery on e-bay at $20 (NP400 and D-L150), the magic lantern at Stapples in Halifax right off the self. The problem I have is with the M42 adapter -still nothing in the mail - sent via USPS and usualy takes 15 days!
Every thing is working out fine so far but the learning curve is pretty steep for someone more used to 35mm cameras. I found that I have to acquire a whole new set of reflexes like always check the info in the viewfinder, the settings, the defaults... boy, just as hard as a new airplane with all the goodies!
I have a new question for you: I bought the K10D body and the 16-50 DA lense and it seems like one has to do away with the old Hyperfocal setting and only rely on the optical/digital preview and/ or the Program line setting on Depth? Am I right or is there a sneaky way in?
Richard
Mahone Bay Nova Scotia

03-25-2008, 11:58 AM	#1
Rnovo Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 415	New from Nova Scotia, Canada Hello to all, Just made it back to the Pentax community after many moons away here and there. Spotmatic SPII in 1978 (28f3.5, 50f1.4, 135f3.5 - all takumar in magic shape). 6X7 in 1983 sold in 2004 with 3 primes, and K10D 2 days ago + 16-50 DA and I plan on using my Takumars once more...in digital, the old fashion way! No K10Ds available anymore, anywhere in Canada... 0 from 0, only on e-Bay. I was anxious about the bidding on e-Bay thinking I would have to fight my way through and suddenly found myself bidding only against myself for a $660 body at camerashopeonline - what a deal! I'm not too keen on the K20D - too big and too expensive for what I want to do. Also got a great deal on a 16-50 DA at $799.99CAN at prodigital 2000 in Canada. I have only one concern: spare D-L150 batteries. There's all kinds of cheap stuff on e-Bay from Hong Kong at $3 - $6 a piece as compared to Pentax at $60. Has anyone a suggestion on what to buy? What about the grip?...Is it worth $200? Also, being new to DSLR operation I would like to get a training aid to help me. Does anyone have some comments on the magic lantern K10D book as well as that training video that is available on e-Bay? Thanks to you keen Pentax buffs for any comments on that. Richard

03-27-2008, 01:21 PM	#8
LSR Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Merida Posts: 126	I just got the accessory kit from prodigital2000, $179 for a battery, remote F (wow that thing is small!) and the grip. Well worth it in my opinion. The grip makes the camera feel a bit better in my hands, but when I flip the camera for portrait shooting it really shows it's worth. As others have complained about, the shutter button on the grip isn't the same quality as on the camera body which is slightly disappointing, but I'll get over that I'm sure. I have a European trip planned soon so I look forward to seeing how much life two batteries working together can give me. I like the idea that the camera will draw power from whichever battery has more life remaining in it. I too jumped on the K10D when I found it was discontinued with very little stock remaining in Canada, found an unused demo at my local Henry's, luck for me as I was panicking not being able to find one anywhere else in Canada! At the start of March I ordered the Magic Lantern book, it's still not here yet, I have a feeling it won't be printed again even though it hasn't been on the market for a year yet Another quality battery you can use is the Minolta NP400 battery, it is identical to the Pentax D-L150 in every way, I got one on eBay from fotoworks for $25, and now I'm set I think with 3 batteries. Last edited by LSR; 03-27-2008 at 02:04 PM.*

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03-25-2008, 12:47 PM	#2
bymy141 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,563	Originally posted by Rnovo No K10Ds available anymore, anywhere in Canada... 0 from 0, only on e-Bay. Hum, the K10D is still on the Pentax price list.... Originally posted by Rnovo I'm not too keen on the K20D - too big and too expensive for what I want to do. What about the grip?...Is it worth $200? Also, being new to DSLR operation I would like to get a training aid to help me. Does anyone have some comments on the magic lantern K10D book as well as that training video that is available on e-Bay? Thanks to you keen Pentax buffs for any comments on that. Richard First of all; congrats you've made it to here. The battery grip is not required from a battery life point of view. Get yourself a proper second source battery and put it in your bag. It is not worth $200 to me, however many disagree and appreciate the grip aspect of it. A book is good, however, there is not so much to learn for an experienced SLR user. It is almost the same: shutter speed, aperture, sensitivity (ISO/DIN). You know that! There are just many more possibilities to control them. As ISO increases, noise increases, just like getting into fast films and seeing larger grain. What is new is colour. If you shoot in RAW format, you can postphone the colour settings to postprocessing. I find it much less difficult to handle that on my PC than in my camera. Trust your instincts, load firmware 1.3 and learn the controls, then adapt them to your liking. Try this link for starters, the workshop are a very good starting point for the K10D: PENTAX digiich Good luck! - Bert

03-25-2008, 12:55 PM	#3
JCSullivan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Windsor, Canada Posts: 3,056	Hi Richard and Welcome to the forum - you are joining many Canucks, a few maritimers and Lots and Lots of others from around the world.

03-25-2008, 06:43 PM	#4
Rnovo Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 415 Original Poster	Thanks for the nice comments, Bert. I'll take it a day at a time and keep the advise in mind. I can't wait to play with that 16-50mm I've been hearing so much about - not used to Zooms at all, just primes, the old way. Richard

03-25-2008, 06:45 PM	#5
Rnovo Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 415 Original Poster	Yeah, I'll go to that site, Thanks JC. Richard

03-26-2008, 04:58 AM	#6
JCSullivan Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Windsor, Canada Posts: 3,056	I guess I should fix-it to indicate that that is my signature.

03-26-2008, 08:54 AM	#7
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by Rnovo What about the grip?...Is it worth $200? Yes. Get the grip kit which includes a spare battery and Remote F. The grip battery will double the in camera battery life. The Remote F is worth about $25. The grip also holds a spare SD card, although it does not add it to the card in camera. The best thing about the grip, though, is the feel of the camera in my hands. It just seems better balanced and easier to hold. The vertical shutter release is also very nice.

03-27-2008, 02:02 PM	#9
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	I have my camera set to use the grip battery first. The default is to exhaust both batteries equally so that the whole camera dies when the battery signal moves ever so quickly to empty. This way, the signal tells me grip battery is (nearly) empty. Turn off camera, put grip battery in charger, use camera battery while grip battery charges up. When the grip battery is all charged up, swap it with the camera battery, putting the camera battery in the charger. Replace grip battery when original camera battery is recharged.

04-11-2008, 06:13 PM	#10
bbpa103 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 169	Hi Richard. Spent 7 years in NS and working on getting back there. Did you already grab the manual off the Pentax site: Pentax Canada - Operating Manuals for Pentax Digitals I have the K100D but scanning quickly thru the Magic Lantern I thought that after reading the manual several times there was not much value added to the ML book. Welcome. Ken.

04-11-2008, 11:37 PM	#11
davek Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Elmira, On, Canada Posts: 461	Welcome to the club! I love the grip on my K10D. It hasn't been off since I got it. As far as a second battery, I picked a non-OEM battery from ebay with charger for <$20. Works great. Like Rockies, I set mine to deplete the grip battery first.

04-12-2008, 06:25 AM	#12
Rnovo Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 415 Original Poster	Thanks for all the info guys. This is a freindly bunch! I too got a spare battery on e-bay at $20 (NP400 and D-L150), the magic lantern at Stapples in Halifax right off the self. The problem I have is with the M42 adapter -still nothing in the mail - sent via USPS and usualy takes 15 days! Every thing is working out fine so far but the learning curve is pretty steep for someone more used to 35mm cameras. I found that I have to acquire a whole new set of reflexes like always check the info in the viewfinder, the settings, the defaults... boy, just as hard as a new airplane with all the goodies! I have a new question for you: I bought the K10D body and the 16-50 DA lense and it seems like one has to do away with the old Hyperfocal setting and only rely on the optical/digital preview and/ or the Program line setting on Depth? Am I right or is there a sneaky way in? Richard Mahone Bay Nova Scotia